through the mind. That's the face Duse's got. Last night even though you
weren't really thinking about what you were doing every now and then the
words you were saying wrote themselves on your face."
"It's such a rotten part. How could I give it my attention? Did you hear the
things I had to say?"
"Actors are rotten ( ), not parts ( ). You've got a
wonderful voice ( ), the voice that can wring an
audience's heart (, :
), I don't know about your comedy ( , :
), I'm prepared to risk that ( ; to prepare
, , )."
67
"What d'you mean by that ( , : )?"
"Your timing is almost perfect ( ). That
couldn't have been taught ( ), you must have that by
nature (, , : ; nature
, , , ). That's the far, far better way (
, ). Now let's come down to brass tacks (
; to come /get/ down to brass tacks ,
; brass , , a tack , ). I've
been making inquiries about you ( :
). It appears you speak French like a Frenchwoman (,
-, ; appear ;
; ) and so they give you broken English parts ( -
// , / / : ). That's
not going to lead you anywhere ( ), you know (
: )."
"That's all I can get ( , )."
audience ['O:dIqns] inquiry [In'kwaI(q)rI] perfect ['pq:fIkt]
"Actors are rotten, not parts. You've got a wonderful voice, the voice that can
wring an audience's heart, I don't know about your comedy, I'm prepared to
risk that."
"What d'you mean by that?"
"Your timing is almost perfect. That couldn't have been taught, you must
have that by nature. That's the far, far better way. Now let's come down to
brass tacks. I've been making inquiries about you. It appears you speak
French like a Frenchwoman and so they give you broken English parts. That's
not going to lead you anywhere, you know."
"That's all I can get."
68
"Are you satisfied ( /, /) to go on playing those
sort of parts ( ; to go on ,
) for ever ()? You'll get stuck in them ( :
|
|
|
; to stick) and the public won't take you in anything else (
: -
). Seconds ( ), that's all you'll play ( ,
).
Twenty pounds a week ( ) at the outside (
) and a great talent wasted ( ; to waste
, )."
"I've always thought ( ) that some day or other (
) I should get a chance of a straight part ( :
// ; straight //;
)."
"When ()? You may have to wait ten years (
). How old are you now ( )?"
"Twenty ()."
"What are you getting ( )?"
"Fifteen pounds a week ( )."
satisfied ['sxtIsfaId] talent ['txlqnt] pound [paVnd]
"Are you satisfied to go on playing those sort of parts for ever? You'll get
stuck in them and the public won't take you in anything else. Seconds, that's
all you'll play.
Twenty pounds a week at the outside and a great talent wasted."
"I've always thought that some day or other I should get a chance of a
straight part."
"When? You may have to wait ten years. How old are you now?"
"Twenty."
69
"What are you getting?"
"Fifteen pounds a week."
"That's a lie ( ). You're getting twelve ( ), and
it's a damned sight more ( ) than you're worth
( ). You've got everything to learn (
; to learn , ). Your gestures are
commonplace ( ; commonplace , ,
). You don't know ( ) that every gesture (
) must mean something ( - ; to mean
, , ). You don't know ( ) how to
get an audience to look at you ( ) before
you speak ( , ). You make up too much (
). With your sort of face ( ) the less
make-up the better ( , ). Wouldn't you like to be a
star ( )?"
"Who wouldn't ( )?"
damned [dxmd] commonplace ['kOmqnpleIs] better ['betq]
"That's a lie. You're getting twelve, and it's a damned sight more than you're
worth. You've got everything to learn. Your gestures are commonplace. You
don't know that every gesture must mean something. You don't know how to
